Anthony Butt will have to draw on all his skills to get Make Way home in Friday night’s Bankstown Cup. PHOTO: Michael McInally.
From the outside of the arm the Bankstown Cup presents big test for Ants and Make Way
By Barry Lichter • 20 November 2019
It will take all the guile of top horseman Anthony Butt to land Make Way a winner in Friday night’s A$14,950 Bankstown Cup.
But despite drawing the outside of the front row in a strong field, Butt and his partner trainer Sonya Smith believe Lincoln Farms’ horse will be hard to beat.
“It’s a good field and being on the outside means he’ll have to do work at some stage but I’m very happy with him,” says Butt. “He’s training great and hasn’t missed a beat since Penrith.”
Make Way continued his unbeaten march this season with a near track record win at Penrith on November 7, clocking a 1:56.4 mile rate for the 2125 metres.
On Friday night he steps up to 2540 metres on the tricky 805 metre Bankstown circuit, which has a short 187 metre run home and no passing lane.
Bankstown is only 805 metres and is not well banked, with its turns having a radius of only 68.“It’s a tricky track, not one of the better half mile tracks,” says Butt. “The turns are tight and it’s not well banked so you don’t want to end up in the wrong spot.
“Generally you need to be up on the pace so I’ll be going forward, but just how quickly I don’t know.
“The good ones are on the second row so I want to keep ahead of them but there’s speed inside him too so it’s unlikely he’ll find the pegs.
“But that won’t worry him. Hopefully we can mooch across and find a spot.”
Butt says with his good gate speed Make Way should be able to get into play against what is basically the quality of opposition he expected.
“He’s up in that grade now so we have to take on the better ones and it will be a good test for him.
“But he makes it easy for us. He’s the perfect little racehorse, he eats up, trains as good as you want him to and nothing worries him.”
Course stats for Bankstown show how much of an advantage it is to draw handy and how hard it is to win from the outside of the arm.
While 16.5% and 20.1% of horses drawn the inside two spots have won this season, the strike rate drops to 8.7% from gate six, the outside of the arm.
Make Way is no ordinary animal though with his own impressive stats. His career winning strike rate is 30.7% - with 12 wins from only 39 starts - and he’s been placed in 58.9% of his races.
In Australia he marks even better with a 50% winning strike rate - nine wins from 18 starts - and a 77.7% placed record.
* Make Way will start from five if the emergency Destiny Warrior fails to make the field.
Make Way races at 11.03pm NZ time at Bankstown on Friday night.
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Our runners this week
Saturday night at Albion Park
Captain Nemo.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Major Achievement
5.19pm
“It’s his first race for a while and he hasn’t been setting the world on fire at the workouts. But he’s been racing better animals and this isn’t a stellar bunch. He’s a chance if things go his way. I’ve given Mathew Salaivao the drive.”
Race 1: Commander Lincoln
5.19pm
“He’s an average horse but the last time he raced here in amateur company he all but won. He’ll need luck from the second row but, while I couldn’t label him, he’s a runner’s chance.”
Race 5: Onyx Shard
6.59pm
“She got a bit sick for a while with a virus and I had to back off her. She seems over that now but I’m picking she’ll need a race. This will be like a glorified trial for her.”
Race 8: My Copy
8.14pm
“He came to the end of it so I gave him a little freshen-up and he seems in good shape again. It will be interesting to see how he goes fresh - he may need a race but he’ll appreciate the step-down in class. I’m running him here so he doesn’t come up against any bear cats first-up.”
Race 9: Lincoln Cove
8.47pm
“Hopefully he’s getting better but you’ve just got to take him on trust. He has ability but the desire has been sadly lacking. Zac will have to sit quietly on him as he broke when given only one tap with the stick last time. The small field will suit him as he won’t be too far off them. If he doesn’t make any mistakes, he’ll give them a fright.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Leo Lincoln
6.43pm
“Maurice said he would have finished a lot closer last time than sixth (fourth or even third) had he not locked wheels at the 100. That took all his momentum away. He’s been holding his form well and he gets out well enough to use the inside draw. He’s a chance to get some of the money.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.39pm
“He did have marks on his boot after his last run and trying a spreader on him has helped. But he’s a real baby. He has real ability but he’s still developing mentally and physically and we’re still finding our way with him.”
Race 5: Lincoln Lou
7.39pm
“He’s racing well but he’ll find it tough from the outside draw.”
Race 6: Debbie Lincoln
8.07pm
“I can’t see her improving enough to give the Purdon/Phelan trio a fright. She can go (fast) enough but still has a lot to learn. The main thing for her is getting round safely. She’s put two in a row now so hopefully she’ll start improving.”
Race 10: Lincoln La Moose
9.59pm
“He had an excuse last time - he got wiped out on the first corner and that was the end of his race. I like him, he’s a nice horse, just not quite as experienced as Frisco Bay.”
Race 10: Frisco Bay
9.59pm
“I lean towards Frisky as the better chance of our two. You can’t fault what he did the other night at Cambridge, and he seems to be on the improve. He’s more reliable than Lincoln La Moose.”
